Mentor Fire Department Offers Free Home Safety Surveys

Witnessing the result of preventable accidents is nothing new to Mentor safety forces which is why the Mentor Fire Department has developed a Free Home Safety Survey for residents of the city.

“The vast majority of injuries which occur in the home are avoidable,” says Bob Searles, Mentor Fire Chief, “We hope people will take advantage of this program and help reduce the number of preventable accidents.”

The 70 point inspection covers a variety of items including; fire safety, trip hazards, poisons, child safety, HVAC inspection, smoke and CO detectors, emergency planning and more. Most are simple to correct and doing so could prevent a tragic loss. The program has become popular with new parents and grandparents but all homeowners are encouraged to schedule an inspection.

According to one Mentor resident, “We found out that childproofing our home means a little more than getting some gates and cabinet locks.”

The inspection is guided by the homeowner and only includes the items which the homeowner wants to address.

“We hold the privacy of our homeowners in high regard. Our oath is to protect our citizens and prevent harm. We care about our residents and want our residents to know that the reason for this program is to help keep people safe,” adds Searles, “If we find something that we think poses a danger, we’ll alert you to it. You won’t be cited or reported and we value your privacy. It’s entirely up to the homeowner to correct any issues.”

Once the survey is complete, the resident is given a list of recommendations on how to make their home safer.

Home safety surveys are available free of charge to Mentor residents. Contact Fire Prevention at 974-5765 to for additional information or to schedule an inspection.